70. From a Nightmare

Kaladin and Shallan flee through the chasms from a chasmfiend that has consumed fallen soldiers. After hiding and allowing the beast to feed on a corpse, they escape deeper into the chasm system. They rest briefly, then continue walking through the night and into early morning, navigating by Shallan's memory and the eventual sunrise. Their banter reveals tension about Shallan's true motives for being on the Shattered Plains, though Kaladin comes to believe her claims about preventing disaster.

Kaladin and Shallan sprint through the chasms to escape a pursuing chasmfiend. When Shallan insists on approaching the creature to observe it, Kaladin reluctantly follows. They watch from hiding as the chasmfiend—described as a sinuous, sleek predator surrounded by luminescent skyeel spren—feeds on the corpse of a fallen soldier. Realizing the beast is occupied with food, they retreat into the darkness. After hours of walking in an unknown direction, Kaladin calls for rest at an intersection. They share rations and Shallan sketches in her notebook, creating an imaginative map of their path through the chasms from memory. Kaladin notices her exceptional visual recall and realizes she may not be telling the full truth about her reasons for coming to the Shattered Plains. They sleep fitfully for a few hours before Kaladin wakes her in the pre-dawn darkness. As daylight approaches and they resume walking, their conversation becomes increasingly personal and confrontational. Kaladin probes her motivations, noting she could have seen a chasmfiend chrysalis without coming herself, and suggests she seeks hidden riches or has more sinister purposes. Shallan deflects with humor and confirms she came because of Jasnah Kholin's scholarship and fears the world itself is in danger. They discuss the parshmen threat, Kaladin's past enslavement, and his belief that Shallan has lived a privileged, painless life. Shallan challenges this assessment, pointing out the contradictions in his accusations. When they discover from the sun's position that they've drifted south instead of west, Kaladin curses their misdirection. Throughout, Shallan's spren Pattern remains silent in her skirts, and she collects a vine specimen for future study.